DNR Waterway Protection

DNR Warden: Jesse Ashton

"... If you are out in a boat on the lake you are required to have one wearable life jacket for every person on board. It also must be the proper size. Boats 16ft and over must have a throwable PFD on board. All motorized boats must have registration. If you have not received decals in the mail yet a signed copy of the registration for must be kept on board. Boats should be registered in the state of principal use. All boat of closed construction must have a fire extinguisher on board. ( So if you have a false floor or your gas tanks are enclosed you need one). All boats batteries must be strapped down and have the terminals covered."

"... Here are a list of the most common violations I have encountered on Half Moon over the past 4-years. 1) Fishing w/o a license 2) Possession of undersized fish 3) failure to have enough PFD's 4) Pull a water-skier w/o an observer 5) Operate boat w/o registration."

"... I wanted to mention is the requirement for youths to wear life jackets while the boat is under way. At this time this in only a law on Federal waterways like the Great Lakes or the St. Croix River. We will probably be adopting this law in the next couple of years though. Even though it is not a law now I would still recommend it."

" ... These are common (fishing) violations on the lake. The bass size limit is 14" and a bag limit of 5, the walleye size limit is 15" and a bag limit of 3. Fish are to be measured with the mouth closed and the tail pinched together. This is demonstrated in the fishing regs. The panfish bag limit in total is 25 fish. The possession limit is 50. This means that if some one came up for a week they could only have in their possession in the freezer of no more that 50 fish. You are allowed to eat fish to keep your possession limit down."